Alastair Campbell, today, on why David Cameron is a coward for ducking the TV debates:

“How well I remember David Cameron proclaiming how marvellous the TV leaders’ debates were and, more importantly, how vital they were to the democratic process in the modern media age. And how pathetic it is, five years on, to watch his wriggling and weaselling to avoid them… I can see why one on one, policy v policy, plan v plan, he might want to duck this. But it is morally cowardly and democratically wrong.”

Alastair Campbell, in 2001, on why Tony Blair was not a coward for ducking the TV debates:

“The UK is not electing a president and our political and constitutional positions are entirely different. [We are not taking part because of] all the blah and the ballyhoo that would surround it… four days of build up to every debate, this is where they’ll stand and this is what they’ll do, and this is the people advising them and this is what they’ll wear, and blah blah blah.”

What was that about “pathetic”, “weaselling”, “morally cowardly and democratically wrong”?

UPDATE: Bad Al responds:

@GuidoFawkes somewhere in between a current PM (sic) said they were fundamental part of democratic debate and here to stay. Tit

Quote of the Day

“I have worked with him when he was Foreign Secretary. I will work with whoever the Prime Minister is. I haven’t had a phone call yet to ask me to run his campaign in Scotland. I am not expecting the call. But I will genuinely judge him on the same criteria as I judge any of the candidates.”